


The Princes' Tale

by lockedcorner



Series: The Princes' Tale [1]
Category: K-pop, Produce 101 (TV), Produce X 101 - Fandom, UP10TION
Genre: Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-24
Updated: 2020-06-06
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:14:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,834
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24322615
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lockedcorner/pseuds/lockedcorner
Summary: Lee Jinhyuk, a Gryffindor Muggle-born, would probably never realize how grateful Kim Wooseok, a Slytherin pure-blood, was to have him in his life.
Relationships: Cho Seungyeon | Seungyoun/Lee Sejin (Produce 101), Kim Wooseok | Wooshin & Lee Jinhyuk, Kim Wooseok | Wooshin/Lee Jinhyuk
Series: The Princes' Tale [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2002972
Comments: 17
Kudos: 87





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I haven’t written fic in english for years, so here comes the obligatory disclaimer: english is not my first language, kindly forgive any grammatical errors, repetitive vocabularies, and awkwardness here and there.

Ten-years-old Wooseok was sitting by himself on the freshly mowed grass in his front yard when he heard the familiar sound of footsteps scurrying towards him. A small smile twisted his mouthㅡhe knew who the owner of those legs all too well, including the news they were carrying.

Less than five seconds later, “Wooseok! Kim Wooseok!”

A pantingㅡyet very excitedㅡLee Jinhyuk arrived before him. An ivory-colored envelope tucked in between his fingers, looking identical with the enveloped Wooseok had received earlier this morning.

“I GOT IT!” Jinhyuk roared in happiness while holding up the envelope. “I GOT THE LETTER FROM HOGWARTS!”

Wooseok’s smile grew wider. “Calm down, you doofus. I already told you we’re definitely getting them somewhere this week, remember?”

But Wooseok knew this was a very big deal for his best friend. Unlike himself who was born in one of the oldest Korean wizard families in Great Britain, Jinhyuk was born and raised as a Muggle. They were neighbors and they were almost practically grew up together, since they both were only child in their respective families.

Jinhyuk had began to show his magical abilities at the age of seven and Wooseok immediately knew that his best friend turned out to be no ordinary Muggle. From then on, with a little help from his parents, Wooseok had slowly introduced the world of magic to Jinhyuk and his parents.

“This is … bloody awesome. Oh my god, I still can’t believe this.” Jinhyuk looked the happiest he’d ever been and it warmed Wooseok’s chest. “Sometimes … part of me still thought that this … whole … magical and wizardry thingies are only in my imagination, you know? That you’ve been pranking me over the years.”

“How dare you?” Half-laughing, half-upset, Wooseok playfully kicked Jinhyuk’s shin.

Jinhyuk grinned widely. “But now that I finally got this letter … whoa. Does this mean we’re really going to Hogwarts soon? It’s real, isn’t it? Like real, _real.”_

“Of course it’s real! Look, I got my letter too,” said Wooseok while flashing his own letter. He started reading, “Dear Kim Wooseok, we are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipㅡ”

“OH MY GOD!” Jinhyuk roared again and dropped his back on the grass. “Books! Robes! Magic wand! I’m becoming a real wizard, Wooseok!”

Wooseok fondly watched the sight of Jinhyuk lying on his back while flailing his limbs around in excitement. He himself still found it hard to believe that both of them were finally going to Hogwarts soon _together_. They were pretty much inseparable since toddlers and Wooseok could still recall the happiness he felt three years ago when he learned that Jinhyuk was actually a Muggle-born wizard. It was almost like … destiny.

“Wooseok?” called Jinhyuk. The older boy was still lying on his back, eyes staring far into the cloudy sky.

“Hmmm?”

“You will come to Diagonal Alley with me, right? To shop and everything.”

Wooseok laughed and lied down beside his best friend. “Of course, you silly. And it’s _Diagon_ Alley, not Diagonal Alley. Keep that in mind or else you’d be lost the moment you step into the fireplace.”

Jinhyuk chuckled in embarrassment before they both fell into a comfortable silence. “Wooseok?”

“Hmmm?”

“Tell me again about the War of Hogwarts.”

Wooseok rolled his eyes. “Isn’t this like, the fifth time already?”

“Aaw please, I really love the climax part, when … you know, when Harry Potter defeated the Dark Lord only with the Exfolliarmus charmㅡ”

“Expelliarmus, Jinhyuk.”

“ㅡyeah yeah, I mean Expelliarmus. And thenㅡ”

In the end, it was Wooseok who said nothing and instead, listened to Jinhyuk’s rambling about his own version of the War of Hogwarts. He didn’t complain though, he always liked listening to Jinhyuk excited chatter about almost everything. It made him feel warm inside, almost as if his heart was exposed to the morning sun.

Wooseok smiled as he kept silently watching his best friend who was still talking animatedly beside him. Jinhyuk would probably never realize how grateful Wooseok was to have him in his life.

* * *

The weather outside was as sunny as Jinhyuk’s mood, Wooseok noticed. Not that he was having a gloomy moodㅡhe was also excited for Hogwartsㅡbut Jinhyuk … Jinhyuk was in a different level of excited: he was _exhilarated_. Everything was beyond fascinating for him, ever since they set their feet on platform nine and three-quarters until now when they were finally sitting inside one of Hogwarts Express compartments. Variety of wizard snacks are messily stacked on the Muggle-born’s lap as he excitedly tasted them one by one.

(“Did you just rob the trolley lady?” Wooseok had asked earlier when Jinhyuk came back to their compartment with an armful of those snacks.)

“I think I just got a nasty flavor,” Jinhyuk winced in disgust after he swallowed his sixth Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans with difficulty. “Don’t ask what flavor it is, I don’t want to find out.”

“I wasn’t even going to ask,” replied Wooseok nonchalantly, but his lips tried to suppress an amused smile.

“Anyway,” Jinhyuk exclaimed, already gone back to his bright self in seconds, “This is it! We’re going to Hogwarts!”

Wooseok snorted. “You already said that fifteen times already today.”

“Now I really wonder where they are going to sort me into,” said Jinhyuk. His eyes wandered outside the window. “What if the Sorting Hat decides that there must be a mistake and the next thing I know I get sent home tonightㅡ?”

This time Wooseok burst out laughing. “That would be awesome.”

“You meanie!” Jinhyuk frowned. He kinda looked cute with his lips jutting out like that but of course Wooseok would never say that out loud. “I’m serious, Seok, what if I’m ended up like, I don’t know, sleeping in the dungeon or the forest?”

“I know you have such a _dramatic_ ass but that’s just too much, okay?” Wooseok emphasized on the “dramatic” part. “Trust me, you’ll be okay. The Sorting Hat is smarter than you, that’s for sure.”

Jinhyuk sighed deeply. “I hope so. It must be nice to not have to worry about such things, eh?”

“What do you mean?”

“You must be at ease because you already know which house you’ll get, no?”

Wooseok’s whole family had been in Slytherin and the boy himself had low-key predicted the Sorting Hat would put him into the said house as well. “Not really. I could be the first one to break the so-called Slytherin tradition, y’know?”

“If you’re in Slytherin, should I go to Slytherin as well?” Jinhyuk looked expectantly at Wooseok.

Something inside Wooseok’s stomach wriggled uncomfortably at the seemingly innocent question. The thought of not being sorted into the same house with his best friend somehow kinda upset him. Why had he never thought of this before?

But he chose to shrug it off and replied, “Don’t be silly. You know it’s not our decision to make.”

Jinhyuk nodded solemnly. The discussion ended there as Jinhyuk decided to challenge himself another flavor of Bertie Bott’s. It didn’t end quite well for him (Wooseok was pretty sure his best friend just got the earthworm flavor but he didn’t have the heart to tell the poor boy) but at least it helped Wooseok forget the discomfort he felt earlier.

Later that night, the discomfort unfortunately kicked him back in a rather strong force as he watched the Sorting Hat cried out “Gryffindor!” from the top of his best friend’s head. And it had not diminished even when he was already safely tucked in his bed that night. (He was, without surprise, sorted into Slytherin)

As he drifted into dreamland, Wooseok began to wonder if he was actually the dramatic one, not Jinhyuk.

* * *

The first year passed in the blink of an eye for most of the first-year students, including Wooseok and Jinhyuk. Before they knew it, another school year had begun and they had upgraded their status to second-years.

Academic-wise, Wooseok had no problem in adapting during their first year. Not even two months since the first semester began, he was already known as the smartest Slytherin in their class. The only people who outranked him were a few Ravenclaw kids, but it didn’t bother him, or anyone, at all.

Non-academic-wise, however, he was a bit struggled to make new friends. With his naturally calm demeanor, sharp gaze, and intimidating family background, it wasn’t too surprising that lots of people were being reluctant to start a conversation with him at first. Fortunately, by the end of the first semester, he finally managed to befriend Cho Seungyoun, a quite blunt Slytherin boy who also came from a pure-blood family. (Although their friendship wasn’t comparable to how close Jinhyuk was to him)

And speaking of Jinhyuk …

Wooseok’s eyes narrowed behind his round-rimmed glasses, trying to follow a certain figure who flew at quite a high speed in the air. The familiar figure was carrying a red ball in his hand, the same color as his robe, towards the end of the field. Wooseok held his breath as he saw the figure swerving swiftly to avoid a Bludger shot at him, before firing the red ball to one of the goal poles.

“LEE JINHYUK SCORES A GOAL! ANOTHER TEN POINTS FOR GRYFFINDOR!”

The red and gold sea which filled one side of the stadium roared in happiness. Wooseok, of course, joined the crowd and cheer for his best friend. His heart swelled with pride as he saw Gryffindor Quidditch Team stormed towards Jinhyuk to congratulate him for his first goal ever. Oh, how Wooseok couldn’t wait to congratulate him as well later after the match ended.

The match ended around twenty minutes later when the Gryffindor Seeker, a fourth-year named Kang Seulgi, caught the Snitch.

"GRYFFINDOR WINS!"

Wooseok jumped from his seat and screamed loudly. His action inevitably attracted the attention of most people who sat around him, because not everyday they could witness the cold-looking Kim Wooseok expressing his excitement so openly like this.

“You know, it’s a relief that it’s a match between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff, or else it would be bloody weird for us to cheer for Gryffindor like this,” Seungyoun said dryly from his left.

Wooseok ignored his comment and looked around, trying to spot Jinhyuk in the middle of the field. “Come on, I need to find Jinhyuk before we go back to the castle.”

Not too long after, Wooseok found himself engulfed in a tight hug and a familiar scent (and warmth) outside the changing room. Jinhyuk laughed out loud as he pranced around, forcing Wooseok to do the same thing in his embrace.

“I won! We won!” the older boy cheered happily. He broke off the hug and Wooseok could see how bright his smile was. Such a lovely and heartwarming sight. “Did you watch the match? How was I? Was I good?”

“Well, not bad for your first match. At least you managed to score a goal,” Wooseok shrugged, trying to act nonchalant.

Seungyoun snorted behind him. “Yeah, right.”

Jinhyuk noticed him and he beamed. “Seungyoun! Thanks for coming!”

“Dude, you were great. Now I’m regretting my decision not joining my house’s Quidditch Team,” said Seungyoun good-naturedly.

“Don’t be! You can always join the next recruitment,” Jinhyuk replied, still smiling from ear to ear. Before he could say anything else, though, they could hear his teammates called him from the changing room. He hurriedly gave Wooseok a quick hug. “Oops, gotta go. See you at the castle, Seok!”

 _“Not bad for your first match,”_ Seungyoun parroted in a mocking manner as they both walked back to the castle. “Your scream when he scored the goal made me temporarily deaf, you tsundere twit. At least I know how to properly praise him.”

“Shut up,” Wooseok retorted, trying to hide the pink tinge on his cheeks by pulling his collar higher.

* * *

While Wooseok was known for his intelligence and coldness (“It’s just his face, really, you don’t have to be afraid of him,” Seungyoun had tried to explain to the first-years), Jinhyuk was almost everyone’s friend with a lot of nicknames. The Social Butterfly. The Baby Sun. The Kind-Hearted Boy. The Good-Looking Gryffindor Chaser. Wherever he went, there was always someone who greeted him kindly, be it students, teachers, house-elves, even ghosts. In short, almost everyone knew and liked him.

Been knowing each other since toddlers, of course Wooseok wasn't surprised to learn how popular his best friend was. It was a bit hard for him at first, having to share his best friend with practically the whole school, but eventually he had grown accustomed to it.

Until their third year.

"So," Wooseok tried to sound as nonchalant as he could, "I heard you went out on a date with Seon Yein?"

They were occupying a small table in one corner of Three Broomsticks. Wooseok’s Butterbeer cup was still almost fullㅡhe only took a small sip of it since they arrived there half an hour agoㅡwhile Jinhyuk’s was almost empty and now the taller boy was busy ravishing a large piece of turkey leg.

"Seon Yein?" Jinhyuk paused munching for a while. "You mean Yein from Hufflepuff? We went to Hogsmeade last week, yeah, but what do you mean a date?”

“A romantic date, you know, where you get to know each other and … stuffs.”

“What kind of stuffs?” asked Jinhyuk, took his cup and emptied it in two gulps.

“Do I really have to explain it to you?” Wooseok asked back in exasperation.

“No, seriously. All we did was chat and eat and, oh, we also went to Scrivenshaft’s since I needed to buy a new quill,” Jinhyuk tried to remember. “I think that’s all. So I really don’t understand what kind of ‘stuffs’ you were talking about.”

Wooseok seemed a bit hesitant before saying, “Don’t you know that he fancies you?”

Jinhyuk’s eyes widened. “Who? Yein? Ey, don’t say that.”

“It’s true, though. Someone told me they overheard Yein talking to his friend last week, contemplating on how to ask you out. And, come on, it’s just really obvious that he fancies you.”

“Whoa, Kim Wooseok, I didn’t take you for the gossipy type,” Jinhyuk chuckled. He remained calm as he finished the remaining turkey on his plate. “But that kinda explains why he somewhat looked nervous when he asked me out. Now I feel rather bad.”

“What are you going to do about it then?” Wooseok couldn’t stop himself from asking. He squirmed a little on his seat, feeling uncomfortable all of a sudden.

Jinhyuk contemplated for a while. He reached for Wooseok’s untouched Butterbeer and took a sip. “Nothing, I guess? He hasn’t said anything yet anyway and, although I feel bad for saying this, I hope he stays that way. Yein is a good friend, I don’t want to make things get awkward between us.”

A moment of silence before suddenly Wooseok snatched his cup from Jinhyuk’s hand. “Don’t you think I didn’t realize you already finished half of my Butterbeer, Lee Jinhyuk!”

“I thought you didn’t want it! You didn’t even touch it!”

And as they went on with their childish banter, no oneㅡnot even Wooseok himselfㅡhad realized how his whole body went relaxed the moment Jinhyuk explained that he had no romantic feelings towards Seon Yein.

* * *

Wooseok was on his way back from the greenhouse when suddenly the rain poured down. He had ran as fast as he could but his upper body was still drenched the moment he finally reached the castle.

 _Weird,_ he thought while trying to dry his robe with his wand. _Why suddenly raining this hard in the beginning of November?_

Still trying to dry his robe, he walked down the corridor which lead to his common room. But then he suddenly remembered he had to return a few books he borrowed last week so he turned around to take his usual short cut to the library.

And that was when he saw a tall figure standing at the end of the deserted corridor, looking slightly awkward from where he was standing. The figure was facing the opposite direction so Wooseok couldn’t see his face, but of course he could recognize that lanky figure anywhere. Smiling faintly, he then walked over to him.

But his steps immediately stopped as soon as he realized what made Jinhyuk’s standing posture look a bit awkward.

He wasn’t alone. A shorter girl was standing before him on her tiptoes, her fingers were seen holding his collar to keep their faces closerㅡ

ㅡas they were kissing.

Wooseok could feel his heart sunk to the bottom of his stomach. His fingers went cold and limp, and without him knowing, his wand had fallen to the floor with a clang that sounded a bit loud in the silent corridor.

The sudden noise broke the kiss apart. Wooseok could recognize the girl as a fifth-yearㅡone year above themㅡwho was also a Gryffindor Prefect. _What is it her name again? Choi Hyejung? Choi Hyojung? Whatever._

Jinhyuk let out a short awkward laugh. “Oh, hei, Wooseok.”

The girl look as embarrassed and she gave Wooseok a shy smile, which Wooseok didn’t return. “Jinhyuk, should I … go back to the common room first?” she softly asked Jinhyuk.

“Yeah, I’ll see you later.” They exchanged smiles (Wooseok looked away) before the girl left.

“So,” Jinhyuk cleared his throat awkwardly, “Sorry you had to see that.”

“I’m the one who should be sorry for interrupting.” Wooseok was grateful his voice came out steadily without any tremble. And he really hoped his facial expression wasn’t betraying him either. “Although, you should’ve chosen a more private place.”

Jinhyuk grinned bashfully. “It’s not like it was planned, you know. She was the one who … uhmmm, well … suddenly ...” He didn’t finish his sentence.

Initially, Wooseok really didn’t want to hear any more details of what he had just witnessed. But the question just slid out of his mouth before he could stop it, “So are you two dating or what?”

Jinhyuk scratched his head, looking surprisingly rather confused. “I guess? I mean, we weren’t even dating actually? I never asked her out or said anything, and neither did she. But … after what just happened … I guess … we are supposedly dating now? Or not? I really don't know."

He looked so adorably clueless that Wooseok couldn’t help but feel a surge of fondness amidst the tightness inside his chest and his fractured heart.

“Why is your hair wet like this? Did you just fall into the lake or something?” Jinhyuk suddenly touched Wooseok’s hair with a confused and worried face. “You’d catch cold in no time, Seok. Here, let me.” He began to dry Wooseok’s hair using his wand while his other hand gently rummaging through the damp strands.

This time, Wooseok’s chest began to ache physically. He stepped back in reflex, avoiding Jinhyuk's eyes and hand. "I can do that by myself," he said, voice was a bit restrained. "You should go to your common room now, you wouldn't want to make her wait."

Without waiting for Jinhyuk's response, Wooseok turned around and hurriedly left the place. That night, he completely didn’t heed Seungyoun’s call for dinner and refused to come out from under his blanket until the next morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as you may have guessed, this story is sorta inspired by snape and lily's story, and the second part will be coming up soon! in the mean time, if you don’t mind, please leave any comment and/or say hi to me on twitter (@lockedcorner)? let me know what you think about the first chapter. it would mean a lot to me, thank you ♡


	2. Chapter 2

It didn’t happen all at once, but after what happened that evening, Wooseok and Jinhyuk started to fall apart. More like, Wooseok was the one who deliberately avoided him whenever he had the chance to. They still talked to each other, of course, but it was always Jinhyuk who approached him first with Wooseok responding briefly and sometimes coldly. The poor Gryffindor boy had no clue what was going on, but the Slytherin boy gave him no room to properly ask what went wrong between them either.

“You’ve been doing that for a straight five minutes already. Stop it,” Seungyoun chided in distaste watching Wooseok poking grilled sausages on his plate on one morning.

“Leave me alone.”

Seungyoun rolled his eyes and turned back to his own breakfast. He had grown accustomed to his friend’s inexplicably grouchy and snappy attitude, especially for the past months. The younger boy always refused to tell what was bothering him and that left Seungyoun with no other option than minding his own business andㅡ

“I really don’t understand, though.”

_ㅡoh, now he suddenly speaks after he asked me to leave him alone?_

“What is it that The Excellent Kim Wooseok doesn’t understand?”

Wooseok blatantly ignored the sarcasm and continued, “I thought he was dating that prefect girl.”

Now that piqued Seungyoun’s interest. “Who?”

Wooseok didn’t answer. His eyes were unreadable and hard. Seungyoun followed his gaze and found out that he had been staring at Gryffindor table. More precisely, he had been staring at a small familiar group sitting there: Jinhyuk and his two Gryffindor best friends, Lee Sejin and Kim Minkyu. Jinhyuk had his right arm draped around Sejin, who was sitting in the middle, as they laughed at whatever Minkyu was saying.

Seungyoun frowned. “Who is dating who? Lee Sejin and Kim Minkyu?”

“Jinhyuk. Dating the Gryffindor Prefect,” replied Wooseok. On the other table, the said taller boy was seen playfully pinching the shorter boy’s nose, eliciting a whimper of protest from the latter. But then they laughed together again, and Jinhyuk’s arm found its way back on Sejin’s narrow shoulder. “He is dating another girl and yet he is being … overly chummy with Lee Sejin.”

“Are you suggesting that something is going on between Jinhyuk and Lee Sejin?” Seungyoun’s eyes widened. Funny, this was probably the most interest he had ever shown in anything during their four years of friendship. _What a gossipy._

Wooseok finally looking away from Gryffindor table and eating his grilled sausage lazily. “Maybe.”

Seungyoun squinted his eyes, trying to find what Wooseok was talking about. “Aren’t they always like that since, I don’t know, the first year? You told me yourself that Jinhyuk has always been touchy-feely with people close to him.”

Wooseok only hummed in response. He was now stabbing the baked potato with his fork, eyes still as hard as before although they were no longer fixed on Gryffindor table. His appetite was long gone and he wished to leave the hall as soon as he could. Glancing at his watch, he gathered his stuffs and stood up. He still had about fifteen minutes before his morning class started, it was more than enough for him to sit in the yard for a while. A little fresh air might be good for him.

“Wooseok! Hey, Wooseok!”

He was already a few steps outside the Great Hall when he heard the familiar voice calling him from behind, accompanied by the sound of footsteps in hurry.

_Great. Just great._

“Where are you going? We still have more than ten minutes before the class started,” Jinhyuk gently held his arm. “I was about to come over to Slytherin table when I saw you leaving.”

Somehow the sight of Jinhyuk’s smile irritated him further. “What is it that you need from me?”

Jinhyuk’s face immediately fell. “Seok, I’ve been meaning to ask you this for quite some time. Did something happen at your home? Or … have I done something that offend you?”

Wooseok felt guilt slowly creeping into his heart at how guarded Jinhyuk sounded. “I’ve just … been quite occupied these past weeks, it’s a bit gruelling. Took some extra subjects this semester, if you noticed,” he forced himself to answer softly. “Anyway, how’s your girlfriend? Haven’t seen much of you two together lately.”

“Well, you can say that we’re no longer dating?” replied Jinhyuk, looking a bit sheepish. “We tried going out for a while, but then we realized it was a bit … weird? So we decided to just go back to being friends.”

Wooseok hated to admit it but he noticed how his heart felt lighter after he heard those words. But unfortunately it didn’t last long, because right after that he heard a familiar voice coming from his behind.

“Jinhyuk, you left your bag on the table, you klutz. Here, I’m carrying it for you.”

“Thanks, Sejin,” Jinhyuk smiled warmly at his Gryffindor best friend and Wooseok could feel another lump of distaste formed in his stomach. “By the way, do you mind going to the class first? Wooseok and I are stillㅡ”

“No.” Wooseok’s voice came out more cold and snappy than he intended it to be. “Just go. Don’t mind me.”

Again, Wooseok rushed away from the scene, leaving behind a very bewildered Jinhyuk.

* * *

“What are you doing here?”

Wooseok didn’t bother to look up and continued reading his book. “What do you mean what am I doing here? This is Slytherin common room.”

Seungyoun sat in front of his friend. “You know what I mean.”

“No, I don’t. Be specific, Cho.”

Seungyoun let out a rough sigh from his mouth, a sign that his patience started to wear thin. “I couldn’t find you in Quidditch field. Jinhyuk’s playing against Slytherin.”

Wooseok snorted. Of course Seungyoun (and probably everyone else) were going to ask him that. “I didn’t feel like going.”

“It’s his first Quidditch match as Gryffindor Captain and you didn’t feel like going?” asked Seungyoun in disbelief. “Seriously, what happened between you two? You’ve been avoiding him since fourth year, it’s been almost a year already.”

Wooseok chose not to answer the question for the nth time and Seungyoun shook his head in annoyance. _This idiot, really._

“So? How was the match, then?” Wooseok asked, eyes still on his book.

An idea formed inside Seungyoun’s head. “We lose,” he shrugged.

 _It means Jinhyuk’s team won the match._ There was a sense of pride that burst in Wooseok’s chest. Oh, how he really wanted to run to his best friend right now and hug him tight in celebration. Except that … it must be Lee Sejin who had been doing that instead of him. That unpleasant image inside his head immediately shed the longing he felt towards the tall Gryffindor boy, and he went back to his book, sulking.

And of course Seungyoun was aware of the inner turmoil that just happened to Wooseok, just as he predicted. So he continued, “Too bad you weren’t there. It was a great match. Even when Jinhyuk fell around ten metres high after getting hit by a Bludgerㅡ”

Wooseok had never turned around that fast in his life, his neck made a faint crack sound. His face was full of horror and worry. “Are you serious?”

“No, I made that up. But it was worth it because you should’ve seen your face just now.”

Wooseok swore he almost drew his wand and launched Bat-Bogey Hex on Seungyoun straight away. But all he did was throwing a cold, killing gaze to his taller friend (who was completely unfazed) before reaching for another book on the table.

Seungyoun smirked in satisfaction as he rose from the couch. “Point taken,” he said lightly. But then his tone turned serious. “Stop lying to yourself, Kim Wooseok. And stop hiding. Tell him how you feel.”

And just like that, Seungyoun left Wooseok alone with his own mind to ponder about the older boy’s last words.

* * *

Other prefects would probably disagree but for Wooseok, one of the best parts of being a prefect was the privilege to roam the castle after bedtime. He rarely found anything strange during his patrols (many younger students didn’t want to take the risk of getting caught by The Kim Wooseok anyway) so nighttime patrols were more like a perfect time for him to properly enjoy the quiet and serene atmosphere of the castle.

That night was _supposedly_ no exception.

Wooseok deliberately spent five minutes longer in front of the giant window in the east wing of the castle. It was almost full moon and the night sky looked exceptionally clear and sparkly, it was such a beautiful sight.

His ears suddenly caught something from the end of the corridor. It was a faint sound, but Wooseok was sure someone was there. Not to mention the corridor was located near the entrance to Gryffindor Tower so it could have been a Gryffindor student sneaking up outside their dorm. Wooseok then slowly crept towards the source of the sound.

The corridor was almost pitch dark, so he drew his wand and whispered, _“Lumos.”_

A movement behind the tapestry immediately caught his attention. So he pushed it open …

… and came face to face with Jinhyuk.

“What theㅡ?” Wooseok stammered. Out of all people, he totally did not expect to see Jinhyuk standing there. “Lee Jinhyuk, what are you doing here at this hour?!”

Jinhyuk also looked just as surprised, but then he managed to regain his composure pretty quickly. “Hey, Seok, nice to see you.”

His right hand was holding his wand (most likely to light his way in the dark) while his other hand was carefully holding a medium-sized carton box. Wooseok couldn’t see what was inside the box but he could faintly sense a sweet, sugary smell from it.

“Thank God it was you. I thought it was Sejin,” Jinhyuk stepped out of his hiding place and smiled at Wooseok who still looked stunned. “By the way, I’m not gonna make things hard for you, so go ahead and take some points off Gryffindor. I’m at fault here anyway, I admit it, but I assure you it’s not my habit to sneaking out at night.”

“Then what are you doing here? Why aren’t you in bed? Isn’t it, I don’t know, almost midnight?”

“I just went to the kitchen to get this,” Jinhyuk lifted the carton box on his hand. “Actually, I should’ve gone together with Minkyu, but one of us should be on standby in the common room just in case Sejin returns sooner from his nighttime patrol.”

Wooseok eyed the box. “Is it really _that_ important that you are willing to break the rule to get it?”

“It’s Sejin’s birthday tomorrow! Or ... in a few minutes, to be precise,” explained Jinhyuk excitedly. “I specifically asked Veeny to prepare this small birthday cake for Sejin so we can give him a surprise and celebrate his birthday together tonight. You know Veeny, the sweet house-elf who is always like ‘Master Jinhyuk~’ cheerfully every time she sees meㅡ”

It felt as if something just stung Wooseok and he didn’t hear whatever Jinhyuk was saying afterwards about Veeny the house-elf. The familiar tightness in his chest came back and this time it suffocated him a little. _Jinhyuk has never gone that far for my birthday._

Jinhyuk must had been sensing something was off because he asked worriedly, “Seok? You okay?”

“Yeah. I’m fine,” answered Wooseok, his tone was icy. “Twenty five points off Gryffindor, then.”

He turned around to leave, but stopped after only a few steps. His heart felt so full of bitterness and he really wanted to spill them out. “You know, I’m really disappointed in you.”

Jinhyuk looked confused but said nothing.

“You know what could happen if you get caught. Not only by me, you could’ve been caught by other prefects, caretakers, or even teachers. Yet you still did it,” Wooseok continued, each word came out even colder. “Why? Do you think you could always charm yourself out of troubles if you get caught, Mr. Charming? Or perhaps … do you really _fancy_ Lee Sejin that much that you don’t care at all about the rules and your house’s points?”

“ _What?_ NoㅡWooseok, what the heck are you talking about?”

Before Wooseok could say anything further, they heard the sound of footsteps approaching, followed by a familiar voice, “What’s going on here?”

Lee Sejin had just arrived and the sight of him just riled Wooseok up even more.

“Speak of the devil,” said Wooseok with a completely fake cheerful tone that dripped with sarcasm. “I heard it’s your birthday? Happy birthday, Lee Sejin! It must be very flattering to have your _dearest_ friend here breaking the rules and jeopardizing his house’s reputation to prepare such a touching birthday event for you?”

“Wooseokㅡ”

“Oh, my bad, I totally forgot it should’ve been a secret.” Wooseok didn’t sound or look apologetic at all. He threw one last glare to both Gryffindors in front of him. “I’m really sorry for ruining your supposedly _romantic_ birthday surprise. Goodnight, then.”

This time it was Jinhyuk who held his arm to stop him from leaving. “Wait! Just, wait. I’m really lost here. Can we talk first?”

“It’s already midnight and I need to go back to my room. Nothing to talk about anyway,” replied Wooseok, still in the same icy tone.

“Can you two just please settle whatever it is that you’re having later at a more proper time?” Sejin interrupted, looking completely lost and tired. Did he just finish his peaceful night patrol duty only to find a commotion in front of his own house?

“Listen to your boyfriend, Lee Jinhyuk. You still have a birthday celebration waiting, so now let meㅡ”

But Jinhyuk didn’t let go. “No, I’m not letting you go before we talk.”

“I said, there is nothing to talk about.” Wooseok jerked his arm to free it from Jinhyuk’s grip. “You two are so perfect for each other, I can see why both of you are always glued together.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Jinhyuk frowned.

Wooseok’s head now felt hot and heavy, and so did his chest. A small voice inside his head had started warning him to stop talking right then and there before he came out with something worse that he would regret later.

But it was futile.

“It must be really nice to have someone who can fully understand you through and through, eh?” Wooseok blurted out. The resentment inside him made his words sound a bit condescending. “Since, you know, you two have similar family background and all. Does that give you some kind of emotional bond or what? With Sejin coming from a mixed-blood family and you being a Muㅡ”

He abruptly stopped talking when he realized what he was about to say. And when he saw Jinhyuk’s facial expression.

“Being a what?” the taller boy asked in a low voice. “Finish that sentence. Me being a what?”

“... If you’re thinking about _that_ word, it’s not that.”

Jinhyuk let out a humorless, dry laugh. “Your choice of words doesn’t matter. You know what matters? You … my childhood best friend who was there when I casted my first spell, who guided and accompanied me through my baby steps as a wizard … turn out to think lowly about my blood status.”

“I never saidㅡI swear I don’t!”

“You surely sounded like you do.” Jinhyuk’s voice sounded cold yet heartbroken. “You’ve already made your point. I get it. Goodnight, Wooseok.”

And he left before Wooseok had a chance to say anything.

Sejin, who had witnessed everything, could only heave a long sigh. “You’re an idiot,” he muttered to Wooseok before turning around and followed his friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear to god the next/last chapter is happier than this one, I promise!  
> in the mean time, please leave a comment here or on my twitter (@lockedcorner) ☺️ I really want to know what you think of this story (or my writings, in general), thank you so much!


	3. Chapter 3

More than two agonizing weeks had passed since that disastrous night and Wooseok and Jinhyuk were still ignoring each other’s presence.

Wooseok was having it harder, of course. He spent most of his time alone, cursing at himself and wallowing in remorse without knowing what to do to make things better. He often refused to eat, mainly because he had no appetite, so most of the times Seungyoun had to drag him by force to dinner.

(“I never admit this out loud but I always admire your brain, Seok,” said Seungyoun, two days after that night. They were currently sitting in their usual corner in the library, doing homework. Or at least only Seungyoun who was working on his homework, Wooseok had just been sitting there with an opened book in front of him, eyes and brain blank. “However, I must say you’ve been a completely tosser in this area. I don’t understand why you haven’t gone to him and apologize already.”

Wooseok buried his face deeper into his Arithmancy book. “I tried to approach him today and he … literally turned his back on me even before I could open my mouth.”

“Maybe he still needs time to cool off a bit. After all, we gotta agree that you’ve gone too far in this matter.”

Something flashed through Wooseok’s mind. “I’ve been wondering,” he frowned, “where did you hear about what happened that night, anyway? I never told you anything.”

Seungyoun only shrugged. “I have my own ways.”)

One afternoon, Wooseok was yet again forced to put aside his personal misery and carry out his duty as prefect. Three days before, out of sudden the DADA teacher announced that the school would hold a duelling club that weekend. The announcement was welcomed by almost all students, especially the younger ones who had never been taught or witnessed a wizarding duel before. For the prefects, though, the event meant extra work since they had to oversee it and make sure no one gets hurt.

Apart from two second-years who had to be taken to the hospital wing for growing a pair of antlers on their head (courtesy of Horn-Growing Hex) and a third-year who couldn’t stop inflicting fiery hot breath from his mouth like a raging dragon, the duelling club went well for the first and half hour.

Nearing the end of the event, Professor Mun, the DADA teacher, made a surprise announcement, “Well done, everyone! Now, shall we have a proper duel demonstration as closing?”

The whole Great Hall cheered loudly and Professor Mun grinned in satisfaction. “However, I can’t entrust this final demonstration to just any student because there will be some additional rules applied. Some additional, _advanced_ rules, I must say,” he said. “This duel demonstration will be done non-verballyㅡthat’s right, you must cast your spells inwardlyㅡthat’s why I will appoint only fifth-years and above.”

He took a pause and looked around attentively, as if assessing the students. “Ah, should we ask two of our skilled prefects to do this, then?” he rubbed his palms excitedly. “Kim Wooseok, please come forward!”

Many people, most of them are Slytherins, cheered for Wooseok as the said boy stepped forward to where Professor Mun was standing. He had done this a few times beforeㅡmainly at homeㅡso he honestly didn’t feel edgy or nervous. He had mastered with flying colors how to cast spells non-verbally in all of his classes, and he could name some basic, harmless disarming spells that would be very useful for this duelㅡ

“And as for the opponent … hmmmm, let’s see, would you please come forward, Lee Sejin?”

ㅡ _wait, what?_

If Sejin was stunned by the sudden situation, he didn’t show it. His facial expression remained calm when he walked forward and stood before Wooseok, his wand ready in his hand. Same thing couldn’t be said about Wooseok. Although those who didn’t know him well enough wouldn’t be able to tell the differences, at least Seungyoun (and Jinhyuk) knew that the Slytherin boy was starting to get tensed. His cold gaze was now piercing sharply even more and his grip on his wand tightened.

“Remember, boys, no dangerous spells are allowed. Keep it strictly harmless and focus only on disarming your opponent, not hurting them!” Professor Mun’s voice remained cheerful, totally unaware of the thick tension between the two prefects.

Wooseok and Sejin were now standing face to face. Both were within safe distance from the spectators, so what Sejin said next in a low voice could only be heard by Wooseok.

“If I win this duel, will you finally talk to Jinhyuk?”

Wooseok clenched his jaw. “Why do you care so much?”

“Trust me, I don’t. But he is my friend and I’m so done watching you two being idiots for yearsㅡ”

_What?_

“Alright, boys! Bow to your opponent!” exclaimed Professor Mun.

Still not taking their eyes off each other, they bowed out of courtesy.

“Let the duel begin!”

Right before Professor Mun ended his sentence, Wooseok had already launched his first attack, his wand split the air in lightning speed. Sejin was taken aback but luckily he managed to cast his shield charm and avoided the attack on time. He then sent a counterattack which was quickly blocked by Wooseok.

Professor Mun said something in the background but the two dueling prefects totally ignored him, especially Wooseok. They were too immersed in the heated duel, their faces frowned with concentration while their wands didn’t stop dancing right and left, attacking and blocking. It was getting fierce each second passed.

Then Wooseok managed to slip the Disarming Charm right at Sejin’s hand which immediately sent the Gryffindor’s wand flying to the air.

The whole hall cheered for Wooseok’s victory. Professor Mun clapped along, his face looked proud and satisfied. “What a wonderful demonstration! Very good, you two! And now, shall we wrap upㅡ”

“Excuse me, Sir, but can we have another round?” Sejin suddenly interrupted.

The crowd fell silent. Wooseok could see Seungyoun went wide-eyed from the first row, gaping at Sejin. No one saw that coming, apparently, not even Wooseok himself.

“I admit my defeat just now. I really do,” Sejin smiled at the crowd. “But you all gotta agree that it was such an intense, exciting duel. I’d like to experience more and not to mention Wooseok is a really great opponent.”

Wooseok snorted. “Are you sure you don’t have personal reasons behind this?”

“Certainly not,” answered Sejin, smiling sweetly.

Professor Mun alternately looked at them both in doubt. “I do appreciate your enthusiasm but please don’t make me regret this,” he said. “Fine, one more round then, and please, _please_ keep it in line.”

Sejin looked satisfied and lifted his wand in preparation. Wooseok also set up his standing posture and wand, but with a disbelief scowl on his face. His scowl only deepened when he could hear Jinhyuk saying in a restrained voice from the crowd of spectators, “Sejin, don’t do this.”

_Let’s do this then._

“Bow to your opponent!”

Sejin muttered, “I will not lose this time.”

“Good luck then,” Wooseok breathed back.

“Let the duel begin!”

The flash of light from Wooseok’s wand came out even faster than the previous round but this time Sejin was ready to block it and launch his counterattack on the next second. Not even fifteen seconds after it started, everyone could tell that this round was more intense than the first one. Each attack glided with much determination and speed, Professor Mun had began to worry if the spells they were using were no longer within harmless limit for student level.

Just as the young professor was about to stop the duel by force, a blasting noise came from the podium, accompanied by a blinding flash of light. Apparently the striking spells from the dueling boys had just collided at one point and the resulting force was strong enough to send both prefects thrown backwards, wands flying out of their hands.

Wooseok winced in pain from where he was laying on his back. From the throbbing pain in his left shoulder, he was sure that somehow Sejin’s spell had managed to hit him even only by a graze. And then he realized the duel wasn’t over yet so he reached out his arm to retrieve his wandㅡ

“OKAY, THAT’S ENOUGH!” Professor Mun’s thunderous voice filled the hall. The tip of his wand was pressed against his throat to magically raise his voice. “This duel has ended! Bring both boys to the hospital wing!”

Did he look that awful to the extent he had to be taken to the hospital wing? But Wooseok didn’t mutter any protest since he indeed felt a bit weak especially in his feet and left arm. So he waited until someone, most probably Seungyoun, approached him and helped him to his feet.

Except, he realized that those hands didn’t belong to Seungyoun.

“You okay, Seok? You were thrown pretty hard earlier.”

It took him more or less five seconds to fully realized that it was _Jinhyuk'_ _s_ voice he heard just now. It was _Jinhyuk_ who ran to him and carefully helped him up. It was _Jinhyuk'_ _s_ arm which was now embracing him firmly and gently at the same time, making sure that he could walk without experiencing any further pain.

“I’m … fine … I think?” Wooseok replied quietly. “My shoulder’s a bit hurt, though, but I don’t think hospital wing is necessaryㅡ”

“Now, now, don’t be stubborn,” Jinhyuk immediately cut him, frowning in disapproval. “I’m sure there are no broken or fractured bones, but let’s just let Madam Ock examines you first to confirm that.”

Knowing that he had no choice than to obey, he let the tall Gryffindor Chaser to escort him to the hospital wing. Almost halfway, he remembered something. “Wait, what about Lee Sejin? Is he okay?”

“I saw Seungyoun carrying him to the hospital wing earlier. It looks like your spell kinda hit the target, he seems to be in more pain than you,” explained Jinhyuk with a light chuckle. “But I’m sure he’s okay, don’t worry.”

“Well, he better be. I don’t want to get into troubㅡhey, I’m not worried!” Wooseok said indignantly.

Jinhyuk only responded by a laugh which Wooseok could translate as _whatever you say, seok_. The Slytherin then pouted and didn’t say anything further. Only a few seconds later did he realize something was odd.

“Wait, why Seungyoun, though?”

“What do you mean by ‘why Seungyoun’? He’s been courting Sejin for weeks.”

“HE WHAT?!” Wooseok shrieked and abruptly stopped walking. “What do you mean courting?! I didn’t even know they were close?!”

Jinhyuk also stopped walking and threw him an incredulous look. “I know Seungyoun never made it obvious to the whole school that he likes Sejin, but couldn’t you notice something since he’s your friend and all? He started properly courting Sejin only recently but I'm pretty sure he's been liking him for over half a year, at least."

Wooseok gawked, unable to form a coherent word. He tried to recall a few things Seungyoun had done for Sejin whenever the Gryffindor Prefect was aroundㅡlike lending his gloves whenever they got paired together in Potion class (because Minkyu had accidentally lost Sejin’s gloves the year before and he had always forgot to buy a new pair as replacement), or low-key guarding Sejin from a Murtlap during Care for Magical Creatures class (because apparently the shorter boy got bitten once when he was little thus he was slightly traumatized by the creature). All those gestures were done as natural and nonchalant as it could be so it never occurred to Wooseok that they actually meant _something_.

Then suddenly he recalled what Seungyoun had told him recently, about having his own ways to learn about his dispute with Jinhyuk that night. _Now it makes sense, he must’ve heard it from Sejin._

“That sneaky bastard, he never told me anything!”

And Jinhyuk had the audacity to laugh at him. “You’re being dramatic. It’s not his fault that you’re as thick as lava,” he patted Wooseok’s head briefly. “Now let’s move on to the hospital wingㅡ”

“Jinhyuk, wait.” The newfound information reminded him that there were things yet to be resolved between him and his tall best friend (if he still had the right to call him that). He looked up at Jinhyuk, who was staring back at him with raised eyebrows, waiting. “I’m … for what happened that night, I’m terribly sorry.”

Jinhyuk remained mum, eyes not leaving Wooseok’s. So the Slytherin Prefect carefully continued, “I was being irrational and emotional that night, and I lashed it out on you unfairly. I’ve been regretting what I did that night ever since it happened, it’s been killing me, yet I didn’t have the courage to properly apologize to you. I’m so sorry, Jinhyuk.” He took a deep breath. “And I _swear,_ Jinhyuk, I never _ever_ look down on your … blood status, not even once! It didn’t even cross my mindㅡ”

“I know, Seok,” Jinhyuk interrupted. “Of course I know. I’ve known you almost all my life to know that you are the last person I know to ever look down on my birth or calling me names.”

Wooseok was close to tears. “Then … why?”

This time it was the taller boy’s turn to take a deep breath. “It wasn’t just you who was being irrational and emotional that night. Me too. I thought I was angry because of what you said, but then the day after I realized it wasn’t it. I was frustrated, to be honest. We’re getting further and further for the past, what, months? Or even year? I feel like I’m losing my best friend, you know? I miss you.” Frustration and sadness were written all over his face that Wooseok’s heart ached with guilt. “So … rather than hoping to hear your apologize, I was more hoping to hear your explanation. What happened to us, Seok? Why are you pushing me away all this time?”

Wooseok gulped. He could feel uncomfortable cold spreading from his heart to his trembling fingertips. _How do I tell him?_

Despite of having brilliant and sharp brain, Wooseok always knew he was weak in communicating and expressing his feelings, even more so this time. He really didn’t know what to say, how to properly explain what underlies his stupidity (and stubbornness) of the past year, what drove him to run and hide instead of facing his feelings, and why he ended up hurting himself and his best friend as the result.

“I … Jinhyuk, Iㅡ” _I think I love you._

“You do?”

“Yesㅡwait, WHAT?!” _DID I JUST SAY THAT OUT LOUD?_

Jinhyuk looked amused. “Yeah, you did.”

Wooseok quickly covered his mouth with his hands. He was beyond _horrified_. “WHAT’S HAPPENING?”

“I do have a few guesses of what’s happening.” On contrary to Wooseok’s aghast look, Jinhyuk looked very bright and satisfied. “Lee Sejin you sick twit.”

“What does Lee Sejin have to do with this?!”

“That can wait,” Jinhyuk looked down at Wooseok, his gaze was as gentle as his smile. “But first, I want to do something.”

And without warning, he kissed him.

Wooseok’s mind literally went blank for a few seconds. He could feel how warm and soft Jinhyuk’s lips were, and it sent tingles all over his body. A very good, warm kind of tingles which he didn’t want to end.

But all good things regretfully must come to an end. They eventually parted and Wooseok couldn’t stop a whine slipping out from his mouth, “No~ I still want to kiss you~” only to realize that those words were, _again,_ wrenched from him against his will.

He whimpered pitifully while Jinhyuk roared with laughter. “I’m sorry, I really should feel bad for you but I totally enjoy this. Remind me to thank Sejin later.”

“Why him? What on earthㅡOH MY GOD, PLEASE DON’T TELL ME HE USED MIND-BARING CHARM ON ME EARLIER!”

“It seems so. He finally managed to do it recently, with me being his guinea pig. So I pretty much know how you’re feeling right now.”

“But isn’t itㅡI don’t knowㅡillegal?!”

Jinhyuk frowned. “Well, not exactly illegal. But it does require some kind of special permission and supervision to practice it on another wizard, just like Veritaserum, I think?”

“Oh my God, I can’t believe this. This is bloodyㅡfreakingㅡ” Wooseok was pacing furiously. “If I ever see him againㅡugh!”

“Hey, come here,” called Jinhyuk gently, pulling him closer. “Instead of talking about what you’re gonna do to Sejin later, why don’t we talk about more important things?”

Wooseok couldn’t think straight. Not when Jinhyuk was standing _this_ close to him, with both hands gently holding his upper arms like _this_ , and the way he smiled at him … he was sure he was going crazy.

“What is it with my smile and why it will make you go crazy?”

_Oh fu*k, did I say that out loud again?_

Jinhyuk laughed in amusement. “Yes, you did. That’s how the Mind-Baring Charm works.”

Wooseok groaned out loud. If he remembered correctly, Sejin’s spell didn’t hit him much earlier so its effect should be worn off in a bitㅡ

Then his mind stopped working again because ... Jinhyuk. Was. Kissing. Him. _Again._

It felt very wonderful. _So_ wonderful. Even more wonderful than the first one because this time the kiss was deeper and more thorough. Suddenly everything else didn’t matter to him, only Jinhyuk and how wonderful his lips felt on his.

“Let’s do this before the charm’s effect worn off,” said Jinhyuk after (much to Wooseok’s disappointment) he ended the kiss. He took a deep breath and stared directly into Wooseok’s eyes. “Kim Wooseok, it took one year, three rounds of truth or dare, and a Mind-Baring Charm for me to finally realize that how I feel for you is no longer platonic. It’s not fair to call you the thick one in this matter, because I’ve had my own fair share of being dense over the years. Will you forgive me? For not realizing my own feeling sooner and for making you suffer all this time?”

 _This is real, this isn’t dream,_ thought Wooseok. Judging from Jinhyuk’s face, he could tell that he just said those words out loud again.

But this time, he really didn’t care.

“I was confused, to be honest. At first I also didn’t realized my own feeling,” he said softly. “Seeing my best friend going out with someone else hurt me, but I didn’t know why and I didn’t know what to do. So I ended up pushing him away and hiding instead.”

A short pause before he continued, “And you know, unlike you, I always pretty suck at communicating and expressing myself. So … while I’m still under the Mind-Baring Charmㅡdamn, I actually hate how I had to be charmed first to finally be able to do thisㅡI want to tell you that … I love you, Jinhyuk. I always have.”

“Oh, Wooseok, I love you too,” Jinhyuk breathed out and pulling Wooseok into his embrace. It was amazing how natural these all felt to them, nothing was weird nor awkward, as if it was meant to be. _They_ were meant to be.

“Jinhyuk.” After a while, Wooseok loosened their hug and looked up at Jinhyuk. “Can I have that kiss again?”

Jinhyuk laughed heartily but his eyes were full of affection as he caressed Wooseok’s cheek. “Is it you who do the talking, or is it the charm?”

“Not sure. They’re pretty much the same anyway,” Wooseok shrugged. “It’s not gonna be easy, but from now on I’ll try my best to communicate everything to you, even without the charm’s help.”

“It’s really refreshing to see this cute side of you. I wish to see more of this in the future,” Jinhyuk grinned. He rubbed the tip of his nose against Wooseok’s, before finally giving the Slytherin boy the long, loving kiss he wished for.

They finally arrived at hospital wing about half an hour later, only after they actually remembered they still had to have Wooseok’s shoulder checked.

* * *

“What do you mean by it took three rounds of truth or dare for you to realize your feeling?” asked Wooseok, suddenly remembered what Jinhyuk had told him earlier.

It was quite late already. Wooseok was walking Jinhyuk back to the Gryffindor Tower before starting his night patrol duty. They were pretty much inseparable during dinner, ignoring Seungyoun's feigned disgusted expression, Minkyu who teased them non-stop, and Sejin who silently smiled smugly from a safe distance (he was still feeling a bit wary for striking Mind-Baring Charm at Wooseok earlier).

“Hmm? Oh, last week Minkyu couldn’t sleep so the three of us played truth or dare until, I don’t know, almost dawn?” replied Jinhyuk. “More like truth or truth, actually, because it was already too late and God knows what kind of holocaust would happen if we chose dare. And both of them kept asking me questions about you, it was getting annoyingㅡno offense.”

A small bunch of Gryffindor third-years rushed pass them to return to the common room. They greeted Jinhyuk warmly so the tall chaser had to pause his story for a while to greet them back.

“As expected from Mr. Popular,” Wooseok remarked in a low voice.

“Is the Mind-Baring Charm still there?” asked Jinhyuk amusedly.

“That was me talking. I guess the charm will be permanently embedded in me, exclusively for you,” replied Wooseok flatly, making Jinhyuk chuckled. “Carry on with the truth and truth story.”

“Oh yeah, they kept asking me questions about you, especially Sejin. It seemed like he was already sick of me moping around for months about you. So after the third round and I was still in denial of my feeling, he suddenly drew his wand and casted Mind-Baring Charm on me,” Jinhyuk shuddered at the memory. “He had been practicing the charm for months and never actually succeeded. That was his first successful trial. Minkyu then used the opportunity to ask me embarrassing questions, what a horrible kid.”

Wooseok cackled. “Poor you.”

“Well, if anything, now I can be grateful that Sejin used the charm on us. He stopped us from being idiots so we can have _this_.” Jinhyuk smiled warmly and raised Wooseok’s hand in his hold.

The Slytherin Prefect could feel something growing inside his abdomen. It felt foreign and uncomfortable at first, making his face red with embarrassment. He also had this sudden urge to hit Jinhyuk and reprimanded him to stop being so corny because it was annoying.

Except that … it wasn’t. It actually felt warm. _And nice._

So Wooseok said nothing and hid his small smile. (And also tightened his hold on Jinhyuk’s hand)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EVERYBODY SAY THANK YOU SEJIN. (seungyoun too but lbr sejin is the real hero here)
> 
> as you may have noticed, there’s no such thing as mind-baring charm in the original harry potter universeㅡwe already have veritaserum for thatㅡbut I had to make that up because I was too lazy to think of anything else.  
> fun fact: my initial idea was actually sejin using a cat ear-growing hex on wooseok instead of mind-baring charm. but after giving it some thoughts, wooseok turning into a half-cat wouldn't really solve our main couple's issue, would it? so yeah, I hope you don't mind with the final result.
> 
> and ofc thank you so so so much for taking your time to read this story. I'd be more grateful if you can leave a comment here on ao3 or on my twitter acc (@lockedcorner) to let me know what you think of this story or just to say hi. I may not look like it, but I do love making new acquaintances 😊


	4. Bonus Chapter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sejin never really thought or admitted it out loud before, but now he kinda realized that yes, he wanted to be with Seungyoun too.

“You did WHAT?!”

“Ssshh, lower your voice. This is hospital wing,” Sejin chided the taller boy reproachfully before his attention went back to the small mirror in his hand.

“But that’s illegal!” Seungyoun continued.

“No, it’s not,” replied Sejin in a calm tone without taking his eyes off the mirror. “I mean, yeah, I did break some rules, but Mind-Baring Charm is nothing like the Unforgivable Curses. However, I will really appreciate it if you keep it as a secret from the teachers, thank you very much.”

Seungyoun shook his head in disbelief, couldn’t really decide how he felt. It was a bit hard for him to grasp that Lee Sejinㅡthe sweet and gentle-looking Lee Sejinㅡhad the mind to do something like that. It was brilliant, of courseㅡnot to mention not everyone could cast Mind-Baring Charm in their fifth yearㅡbut he just … didn’t expect it from Sejin out of all people.

“It was brilliant, though,” Seungyoun finally voiced it out. “I bet it was extremely difficult to do it?”

Sejin huffed. “You have no idea. So far I only managed to cast it twice, to Jinhyuk last week and to Wooseok just now, which … I don’t even know if it actually worked or not. Didn’t end quite well, as you could see yourself.”

Seungyoun pulled a chair and sat on it, facing the Gryffindor Prefect who was sitting on one of the hospital beds. “You okay, though?”

“No, I’m not! Look at me!” Sejin whined out loud. “Look at what your idiot friend did to me!”

Seungyoun couldn’t hold his amused laugh at his pitiful facial expression. It seemed like Wooseok had attacked Sejin with some kind of rabbit snout-growing hex earlier? The tip of his nose was now filled with fluffy fur with a snout that totally resembled a rabbit’s. Seungyoun could even see some whiskers growing around the area, making the smaller boy really look like a very cute rabbitㅡminus the ears.

“You probably will hate me for saying this, but the snout kinda suits you, though,” said Seungyoun.

Sejin glared at the Slytherin. “You’re awful.”

Seungyoun laughed again. It was so easy for him to laugh around Sejin, even when the shorter boy rarely joked around and always got teased by his small group of Gryffindor friends. He would sometimes scold or glared at Seungyoun, like now, but the Slytherin always found them amusing rather than intimidating.

But then again, Sejin always gave him a sense of comfort.

They had been classmates for years and Seungyoun’s first thought of him was that he shared some similarities with Wooseok. Their height, their brilliance in classes, and sometimes their tendency to bark out a snarky remarks towards their closest friends.

But unlike Wooseok who seemed cold and elusive, Sejin was warm and comforting. He was full of warm smiles and he always took good care of his friends, almost like a mother. And it always felt nice to have a conversation with him, even only a simple one. Maybe that was how Seungyoun started to notice him more and wanted to be around him even more.

“I didn’t mean it in a bad way,” Seungyoun explained, still smiling. “You still look cute, Sejin.”

A faint shade of pink appeared on Sejin’s cheeks. He knew Seungyoun said that to make him feel better but why he felt shy all of a sudden?

_And how could he say such thing so casually like that? So annoying._

“It’s really funny, though,” said Seungyoun again. “I would’ve thought Wooseok was the one who casted Mind-Baring Charm and you were the one who casted _this_ ,” he jerked his chin towards Sejin’s rabbit snout, “to Wooseok.”

Sejin snorted. “Why? Do you think I’m not smart enough?”

“Of course you are smart enough. I was just surprise that _you_ were the one who casted the rather vicious charm, while Wooseok, that little devil, casted this … fluffy hex instead?” Seungyoun had to hold back his laughter at “fluffy” part.

“Somebody has to do that. Don’t act as if you’re not sick of hisㅡtheirㅡclownery for years,” Sejin rolled his eyes. “They clearly desire each other, especially your _little devil_ of a friend. If anything, they should thank me for what I’ve done.”

“Yeah, maybe they should,” Seungyoun agreed. “Anyway, you shouldn’t worry too much. Madam Ock already gave you the spell-reversion potion and your cute little snout should be gone before dinner time.”

“Stop calling me cute,” mumbled Sejin.

“I was referring to the snout,” Seungyoun suppressed a smile. Teasing Sejin was fun indeed.

Again, Sejin rolled his eyes. “Don’t you have anything else to do? You don’t have to keep accompanying me here, Minkyu is probably on his way here.”

“I’m good. Even if Minkyu gets here later, I’ll still be here.”

“But you don’t have toㅡ”

“I want to be here, Sejin,” Seungyoun cut him off. “I want to be with you.”

Sejin could feel his heart fluttered crazily inside his chest. Maybe it was the way Seungyoun said it, or it could be the way Seungyoun stared at him.

Or probably both.

He wasn’t as dumb as Jinhyuk, he knew what Seungyoun was trying to do for the past days or even weeks. And he never pushed him away, simply because he didn’t feel uncomfortable or annoyed. Seungyoun always knew the limitsㅡhe was fun, nice to talk to, and despite of his reputation as an aloof Slytherin, he was actually a really considerate and polite person. In short, Sejin found it really nice to befriend Seungyoun.

But there was something more in the way he paid attention to all the little things about Sejin. Or how he could joke with Sejin without being annoying (like Jinhyuk and Minkyu whenever they crossed the line with their pranks). Or his small gestures like helping Sejin carrying his ingredients for Potion class whenever they got paired together. Or the way he stared at Sejin affectionately, like what he was doing right now.

Sejin never really thought or admitted it before, but now he kinda realized that _yes,_ he wanted to be with Seungyoun too.

“Argh, I suddenly realized how annoying Wooseok was for growing that fluffy snout on you,” Seungyoun groaned.

“Why? I thought you found it cute?”

“Well,” Seungyoun smiled mischievously, “I’d love to do something right nowㅡI don’t know, I feel like this is the right momentㅡbut it would’ve been way nicer to do it without having the fluffs involved. I don’t want my nose and lips covered with furs afterwards.”

Realizing what Seungyoun meant, Sejin was pretty sure his face was getting _really_ red now. But the craziest part was, he didn’t even want to reply it with his usual snarky remark because _damn_ he wanted the same thing as well.

He wanted to be kissed by Seungyoun.

“You said yourself that the spell-reversion potion will work soon,” Sejin shrugged. He was trying to be a bit bold, but he still got a shy small on his lips. “We will have more time later. Or tomorrow. Or anytime.”

Seungyoun's smile afterwards was wide and bright, and it sent a very warm, happy tingle into Sejin’s chest. Yeah, they definitely will have a lot of time in the future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> surprise? I feel like I should give our second couple a little bit of justice by putting them under a spotlight. not sure if it's good enough or not because I wrote it in less than 24 hours. will probably edit it later.  
> as usual, please leave a comment or say hi to me on twitter (@lockedcorner), thank you!


End file.
